The Man They Call Jayne
by DevonTails
Summary: On Serenity, in deep space a love blossoms between a runaway and Jayne Cobb. Will the Captain stand in their way? Or will he support their budding romance?


Chapter 1. Malty Goodness

Work. It's a bit of a dive I guess. But that's what I get for working in a bar on a….reasonably outer planet. It's a bit dank, I guess they all are and cigar and cigarette smoke fills the air creating a haze that hangs just over our heads, well mine anyway, not overly tall. It's mostly the regular crowd in tonight but at a small table is a small group of outsiders.

I don't really dress up too much for work. A tank top, usually black, ripped jeans and combat boots are pretty much all I own….and my hand gun. A tall guy gets up from the table I'm eyeing and makes his way towards the bar. He's gruff and handsome. He hitches his belt up as he makes his way over, a half snarl crosses his lips as a much smaller man intentionally bumps his shoulder into Gruff Man's ribs. Gruff Man sits on the stool in front of me,  
"Whiskey."  
"Sure. Rough day? Wanna talk about it?"  
I feel a small smile tug at my lips and the man's eyes light up for just a moment before he falters and looks down at the glass I slowly pass to him. I pour myself a glass and as I go to take a sip, I tap the bottom of my glass to the top of his. We both take a mouthful from our glasses, our eyes locking.

I serve a few customers while the Gruff Man sits at the bar nursing his whiskey, which I have topped up for him in the meantime. I quickly throw him a smile, our eyes meet again and he taps the top of his glass causally. I walk over with the bottle of whiskey,  
"I knock off work now."  
He smiles down into his glass,  
"I'm Jayne."  
"I'm Liberty, but everyone calls me Libby."  
"Share a bottle with me? I'll show you the ship."  
I glance at the door briefly, then back at this Jayne guy. He seems dangerous, which is exactly my type. This is bad.  
"Look Jayne, I'm not one to be impressed by large biceps and stolen airships."  
Jayne looks at me and his smile falters, I feel a hand grip my shoulder and my lips instantly curl into a snarl as the smell of stale beer and cigars fill my nostrils.  
"Wayne, get your filthy hand off me."  
"Libby, baby, don't be like that. Why are you hanging around this scumbag?"  
I see Jayne's hand start slowly moving behind his back. I down the rest of my whiskey and slide down off the bar stool gently. The whiskey burns the back of my throat. I turn to face Wayne and look him squarely in the face. He slips his hands around my waist and the blood drains from my face. He dips his head slightly, breathing the stale beer smell straight my mouth. I slowly lift my hands to his shoulders, feeling tension radiating off Jayne. I throw my head back and quickly slam my forehead into Wayne's, then swiftly raise my knee into his groin. Jayne grabs my hand and starts pulling me towards the door.

We break out of the chaos that has freed itself inside the bar. Jayne looks down at me,  
"I'm not usually the Hero type, but uh, you need anything or can we go straight to Serenity?"  
I squeeze his hand slightly and start striding towards my house. I live with 2 other girls and it's only a block away from the bar, it's a rough part of the neighborhood but it's all we can afford. I briskly unlock the door and take the steps upstairs 2 at a time. I grab a bag from my wardrobe and start shoving the few clothes I have into it. I grab my diary and the few pieces of jewellery I still have that my mother gave me, I write a quick note and tape it to my bedroom door.  
"Ok, let's go to your ship."

Jayne snuck me down into his bunk. With a half empty bottle of whiskey. I dumped my bag in the corner and took a seat on his bed, crossing my legs.  
"I want the ship in the air before I tell the Capt'n."  
I took a swig from the bottle and looked at him.  
"So what does the Captain and the crew do with this ship?"  
He took the bottle from me, his fingers brushing mine.  
"Crime….mostly….sometimes we're heroes, sometimes…we're the bad guys."

I wake up in the morning and look around blankly. Jayne's bunk. That's where I am. My head feels swollen and I see the now empty bottle of whiskey on the floor. I look down and see a blanket on the floor, but no sign of Jayne anywhere. I take the opportunity of privacy to change my clothes. I climb up out of his room, the laces on my boots still undone. As I open the door into the corridor of the ship a cold breeze sweeps in and goosebumps cover my body. Then it hits me, we're in space and it's cold.

I enter the dining room and all eyes turn to me. There are 4 pairs looking at me, including Jaynes who's eyes are wide with fear frozen on his face. I walk over to the makeshift kitchen, grab a mug and pour myself a coffee, hoping deeply that this will relieve the swelling and pounding in my skull. I look at the other 3 people sitting at the table, still staring at me. A couple are sitting closely, looking at me with confusion on their faces and a beautiful, yet authoritative woman is frowning at me.  
"Jayne, who is she?"  
Jayne glances up at me from his breakfast.  
"Zoe, I was gonna tell the Capt'n I swear."  
"Enough. I'm getting the Captain. You. Sit."  
I sit down at the table next to Jayne. He lets out a soft grunt of frustration. I hear footsteps and Jayne lifts his eyes up to meet the Captain.

"Why did you bring some whiskey fuelled one-night stand back to my ship? What made you think I wouldn't have a problem with this?"  
Jayne's eyes flitted between myself and the Captain nervously.  
"What's your name?"  
Tearing my eyes from Jayne I look at the Captain and my breath hitches in my throat.  
"Sir, my name is Liberty Reynolds."

Chapter 2. Sit Down, You're Making Me Dizzy

I felt every pair of eyes in the room boring holes into me. Yup. The Captain is my dad.  
"I didn't know I'd find you when I came onto this ship."  
It's barely a whisper that escapes my lips but my eyes don't leave Mals the whole time. He sat down at the table with all of us. Everyone else is to fixated to offer to leave and I couldn't care less. On a ship like this, there are no secrets.  
"I came home from the war and you both had gone. The house was empty. You're the reason I bought the firefly, I've been looking for you for near 13 years."  
I blinked the tears away from my face and started to explain my story.

"Daddy, when the browncoats lost the war and the alliance took total power over the Verse. Mum didn't want our old life. She didn't want to hide anymore. We moved to a central planet and I got educated there. I missed you everyday, but she wouldn't hear a word of it. When I turned 16, I ran away from home. It was partly to find you, partly to escape her hold on me. I just wanted a simpler life. I spent 2 years pick pocketing and thieving until I finally got a job at the bar where Jayne found me. I had been there for 4 years, getting ass grabbed by the same guys. It's a hole that bar. I got some extra cash from pool sharking guys and tips. I learnt to fight and how to shoot a gun. Last night was the first night in 6 years I didn't sleep with one eye open or wake at every sound. Daddy, he took me to safety, I just didn't know it was provided by you."

Mal throws a sideways glance at Jayne, loaded with threat and thanks.  
"Did he take advantage of you at all?"  
My brow knits together in slight confusion.  
"No, he whisked me away."  
The Captain sighs in relief and mumbles something about River, turns on his heel and leaves the dining room. I can feel the heat of Jayne's gaze and look at him.  
"C'mon, we can talk in the cargo hold….get some space."

Jayne points to the stairs and I sit. He places his hand on my knee and mindlessly rubs his thumb back and forth, back and forth. I don't know what to think of all of this. My dad is his boss and he is clearly a dangerous man, but something about him soothes me. I feel completely calm and centred with him here.  
"Are you doin' ok Libby?"  
I glance at him. His blue eyes are level with mine even though he is sitting two stairs lower than me.  
"I don't know Jayne. The hangover isn't helping either."  
The corner of his mouth pulls up into a smirk.  
"Lightweight."  
"Can I speak to Libby alone?"  
The Captain's voice rings around the semi-empty cargo hold and Jayne squeezes my knee before getting up. Mal replaces his spot on the stairs, I drop my gaze slightly to meet his intent stare.  
"I…."  
His voice catches in the back of his throat so he runs his calloused fingertips through his hair. I'd never really noticed how perfectly our hair matches before. Reaching out, I take Mal's hand in my own, mindlessly measuring up the size. For a moment I feel like a child again, his hands are still far bigger than mine, although my fingers are moderately long, my bones are fine and clean. Dad's have many scars, callouses and a few misplaced bumps.  
"From many mischiefs past." He says softly as he watched me intently.  
"I think your mother expected to get notice of my death every day since I left for the war."  
I look at him briefly and notice the sadness filling his face and aging him instantly.  
"I don't know if I should trust Jayne with you, but then, I don't really know you either. From what I've seen, I'll let you handle the situation. But if I get so much as a whisper that he's making unwanted advances, I'll shoot him myself and take great delight in it."

I wander back to Jayne's bunk, finding the ship stifling at the moment and not wanting to face my dad again just yet. I'm not ready to spill my guts to him and I haven't seen him for a long time. I climb down the ladder to find Jayne sprawled on his bed cleaning his guns….and knives…..and a line of grenades. His head snaps up at me when my boots hit the ground.  
"Libby."  
My name mixes with his heavy breath.  
"You're pretty shiny."  
I look at Jayne, confusion and entertainment written all over my face.  
"Pretty shiny hey? I can live with that."  
"I just meant. I ain't gon' let nothin' happen to you."  
I push my breath between my lips.  
"I knew that the first time I saw you."  
"Hrghm."  
His smile is electric. He stands up abruptly from his bunk and strides over, the whole 2 steps it takes him to cross the room that it. When he has purpose, he is truly intimidating. His shoulders pull back and square, his chin lifted slightly, his chest….oh his chest it broad and solid, like a wall of Jayne. He lifts his large hand to me face and rubs his rough thumb over my cheek is soft sweeping strokes. Our blue eyes lock.  
"I wanna do right by you Libby."  
He slowly ducks his face, closing in the 8 inches between our height, I can feel the sparks between us and I feel a pull below my belly button. I close my eyes slowly.  
"_Everybody in the dining hall, we have a job."  
_My father's voice cuts through the air and we pull away from each other. Jayne lets a rumble escape from low in his throat.  
"Let's get up there, wouldn't want the Capt'n to think there's somethin' amiss."

I follow Jayne into the dining hall, we sit at the end of the table, Jayne opposite Mal.  
"First point of order is welcoming Libby to the ship. Yes you all witnessed some awkward formalities that I do not wish to repeat. Libby, this is my second in command, Zoe. My co-pilot and reader, River. My mechanic, Kaylee. The on board Doctor, Simon. And lastly, my weapons specialist and Public Relations specialist, Jayne. That's my crew, Inara, is a registered companion and not part of my crew, though she is part of the Serenity family. Her shuttle is off-limits without invitation. Libby you are always welcome on my ship, but given you are old enough, I hope you can find a way to make yourself useful on Jobs. Any skills that might be of use to us?"  
I look around at the group of people. They are all so varied. Four women, five including myself and 3 men. Mal notices my confusion about the balance of men to women.  
"Zoe's husband, Wash, passed away a couple of years back. He was our pilot, River showed an aptitude and will for flying, plus she was already crew…"  
I nodded at each of them in turn, locking eyes with Zoe. She looks beautiful as stone, like she's been through hell. Yet she is still standing by Mal, his second in command.

"Anyway, this job. Simple enough, we're doing a protection run. Don't worry, it's nothing major. We need to go to this house and provide a bit of extra muscle while her ex-husband comes to pick up a few things. She's paying well, but prefers outsiders to do it. Somethin' about keeping it hush hush. Kaylee, Simon and River will stay on Serenity, I want everything in ship-shape. Jayne, Zoe, Libby and Me will go into the house. Jayne, I'm putting you in charge of bringing Libby up to speed with weapons training. We have 3 days until we get there."

Jayne walks up to me. We're in the cargo hold again and shipping crates have been moved aside to allow us space to practice. He's standing behind me and my breath hitches in my throat. He tugs gently at my tank top, pulling it upwards. I feel the eyes almost the entire crew watching us. I feel it tighten around my ribs and realise that he is just exposing my stomach and lower ribs. He runs his coarse fingers over my stomach, feeling my muscles.  
"Someone works out…."  
I smile at him and duck out of his grip.  
"What now Jayne?"  
I see a smirk claw it's way onto his face.  
"Basic hand to hand. I know you can headbutt people, but lets surprise 'em."  
I smile at him, I'm going to get to punch him and he doesn't care who's watching.  
"We'll start with parrying and blocking. Ya don't wanna get hit. It hurts. And you don't want to get grappled. You're little, too easy for a big guy like me to hold, so don't let 'em."

Jaynes fist flew through the air towards my face, I lean-to the left. Jayne smiles at my parry. He throws a right hook and I spin out of the way. Jayne makes a slight grunt of irritation, thinking he would have made contact by now. We dance about for another 5 minutes, Jayne throwing punches and myself spinning all around him. Jaynes fist grazes past my ribcage, I yelp in surprise. Jayne doesn't miss a beat and continues with his pursuit. His assault becomes more fevered and I find myself pushing his fists away, blocking, parrying, dancing out of his way. Beads of sweat form on both our foreheads. Our eyes lock for a moment, Jayne grunting and me panting. Mal had watched the entire thing from overhead,  
"I think that's a stalemate. Very good Liberty."

Chapter 3. The Mercenary In Shiny Armour

Jayne and I went and cleaned up after our session. I suddenly realised that we're sharing a room, on a ship. A slight case of claustrophobia washes over me as Jayne removes his shirt. His back ripples with muscle and I can see more scars than I'd like. Bullets, stab marks and slashes are scattered across his back and a few on his arms. I realise that the man before me fears very little, if anything at all. He turns towards me with a facewasher from the basin in his room.  
"You go first, pretty sure I smell worse than you."  
I'm still in awe of him, he's so overwhelming in all his stature. He pulls me towards the bed and sinks on it, so he is looking up at me. He wipes over my face softly, pushing the stray hairs back into the sweaty mess of my hair. Take my top off, leaving me standing in front of him in my black t-shirt bra. I gently take the washer from him and wash the sweat from my front, then turn so he can wash my back. A low growl escapes his lips as he methodically washes my back, slowly.  
"Done."  
The word is more of a groan of pain. I turn towards him and he cautiously lifts his hand the where his fist grazed my ribs.  
"It's fine, I've had much worse."  
He lifts his eyes and they lock with mine. My skin prickles with anticipation and he pulls me closer. My lips part slightly, surprised at his gentle yet firm touch. He lifts his chin slightly towards my face. I inhale sharply and lower my face ever so slightly to meet his. The tips of our noses touch and I watch him close his eyes, inhaling the smell of my sweat deeply. He breathes deeply while I feel like my whole body is on fire. What do I do? I can't take this much longer, the gnawing ache below my belly button is getting profuse and intense.  
"I'm hungry."  
I turn from him abruptly and change from my jeans to a pair of cream Cargo pants, putting my boots back on.

His face is awash with confusion, I turn quickly and kiss him on the cheek, hoping to break some of the tension. His eyes follow me as I climb up the ladder.

I stroll casually into the dining room to see River and Simon making the next meal. Is it even lunch when you're in space? I dunno. I see a small box of fresh apples and take one, biting into it's crisp juicy flesh. It's funny watching the pair work in the kitchen, Simon is so linear in his thinking while River is clearly abstract. They irritate each other and get in the way of the other, both not fully understanding the other. What do the crew think of her?  
"Mal worries about you and Jayne."  
River was staring at me, right, she's a reader.  
"And you worry about Jayne….you should….he's a dangerous man but not in the way he seems."  
I felt my jaw gape slightly at her. Simon gestures at her to be quiet as Kaylee enters the room.  
"Oh hey there Libby!"  
I brow knits together more,  
"Don't mind River, she takes a bit of getting used to."  
I nod at her, not really sure what to say.  
"I guess we all take a bit of getting used to. So what brought you to Serenity?"  
I mull the question over in my brain.  
"Equal amounts of whiskey, stupidity and desperation."  
Simon came over to us and River listens intently from the kitchen, though I have a feeling she knows what I am about to say.  
"I met Jayne when ya'll were in the bar, I didn't serve any of you but Jayne. When my shift ended Jayne and I shared a bottle of whiskey and talked lightly. I think he was having a bad day."  
I stop and think over the way things happened. The thoughtlessness of the opportunity on both parts and how so far it was the best thing I have ever done.  
"This guy, Wayne, he's been on my case since he started coming to the bar. He comes in every night and follows me home after my shift. He's made some advances which I'd brushed off. But, he had broken into my house. I shot him in the leg. When he came over when I was talking to Jayne, and I think Jayne knew something was off, I decided to leave, forever."  
I noticed Jayne leaning against the door frame, but chose to ignore him for now.  
"Jayne gave me to courage to actually leave, I figured he could take Wayne down if I couldn't. I know it seems like I'm using him, but being around him was the first time I felt truly safe since my Dad left for the war."

Jayne came and sat in the chair next to me. Crossing my legs on the table, I look at him.  
"Naw, you didn't need me. I was just a handy gun hand. But it was good seeing him get all confused…up here…"  
He gestured to his temple, a smirk playing at his lips. A smile creeps onto my lips remembering how Jayne just enjoyed the show, ready to pounce at any moment.  
"Looks like dinner is ready everyone."

Sitting around the table, bread , cheese and sour wine passed up and down the table.  
"Don't get used to this Libby, mostly we eat protein packets."  
I look over at Mal, my dad, and smile. The smile he returns is softer than I expected.  
"I remember, when you were a little girl, I taught you to shoot some cans. Your mother was so angry. She wouldn't drop it for a whole week, and you kept asking if we would do it again."  
Looking down at the plate Simon placed in front of me I smile.  
"I remember that. I hit 3 of them, the farm hands were hootin' and hollerin' for me. Mum didn't like the ranch, she wanted us to move to a big city, something about it being cleaner. I don't think that's true though, it's just a different kind of dirty."  
"Yeah, they were so happy to see you shoot those cans. "

I have to say, I love the banter over the dinner table. Mal has a way of inspiring loyalty and love in others. Simon started telling me the story of The Hero Of Canton.  
_"He robbed from the rich and he gave to the poor. Stood up to the Man and he gave him what for. Our love for him now ain't hard to explain, The Hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne!"_  
"They wrote a song about you?"  
Kaylee laughed;  
"And built a statue of him out of mud! Funniest thing I ever saw."  
"Hey! They gave me the best gorram whiskey in the house!"  
I pondered over the story for a moment.  
"I guess people see what they want to see."  
"That they do my Little Miss."  
Mal looks at me from down the table and gives me a wink. I feel like I did as a child again. My chest swells with pride when he's proud of me. I see his face break into a genuine smile when he sees mine. As they say, the ice has finally broken.  
"So…Dad….tell us more about this job…"

"It's pretty simple. We'll be bunked down in the house for 2 days while the ex husband takes the rest of his things. We're mostly a show of muscle, so we will be packing, visibly. I want us to look tough and unbreakable. Jayne, Libby lots of front. I don't want them questioning our authority. "  
"Sir, if I may? Do you think it would be better if I paired with Libby instead of Jayne"  
Mal flicks Zoe a look,  
"No, Jayne and Libby work well together. Plus they will give the desired amount of 'tough guy' I need. So you 2, do what you do but no lovey dovey crap. Save it for the ship."

Chapter 4. Let's Be Bad Guys.

Finally we arrive at the house. Jayne has been itching for the last 24 hours to get off the boat and I'm feeling that need too. We take the mule to a house. Well a huge house. Bigger than most peoples, but the blocks up and down the street are all similar.  
"Too much money kids, it breeds complacency."  
"Sir, shall we get started?"  
Mal knocks on the big, double front door and shoves his thumbs into his belt. Jayne and I have the artillery bags and they ain't light. Before I can curse, a woman opens the front door. She's bland looking, wearing expensive and bland clothing. Manicured nails and perfect hair. I look down at my own clothes, a 'what the fox?' t-shirt, camo pants and combat boots while my hair has been flung into a pony. She looks like she'd much rather talk to Simon than us.  
"Ms. Bennett, I'm Captain Malcolm Reynolds, my 2nd Zoe and behind me are Jayne and Liberty….Jayne is the big one."  
Jayne lets out a grunt as we follow Zoe into the oversized house.  
"Dining room?"  
The woman points shakily and I lead Jayne in the direction. I can hear Mal and talking still in the foyer.  
"She looks so young. Too young."  
"Ma'am, she's mighty fine in hand to hand combat, her and Jayne get restless on the ship and practice a lot, plus she's great with a gun, been shootin' since she was 6."

Jayne and I spread the arsenal out across the entire table and we're well through cleaning and checking everything.  
"Libby?"  
"Yes Jayne?"  
He looks up at me from Vera and lets out a quiet grunt.  
"I'm glad you're on the ship."  
My heart lurches into the back of my throat. I walk over to him slowly, our eyes never breaking and I gently take Vera from him. I carefully perch myself on his knee, half facing him and start cleaning Vera myself. I can feel his breath brushing my cheek, his large rough hands make their way to the small of my back and my waist, gently holding me in place, making sure I stay exactly where I am. His hand spans across the small of my back, his fingers and thumb follow the curve that starts to make the sides of my body and I feel tiny.  
"I'm no good at this….this….thing we got."  
My hand slows over Vera, I look at Jayne out of the corner of my eye.  
"Me either."

We had been taking shifts around the house for the last 12 hours. We settle down at the table for dinner, Ms. Bennett had a meal cooked for us, a little….cultured. Yup pretty sure I'm eating Crocodile. Which is fine since it tastes a little like chicken. So why, again, aren't we having chicken? Pfft, rich people. Gazing blankly at my empty wine glass I have to wonder when the uber-jerk will be getting here. I mean COME ON!  
"Zoe and I will take the first shift, you 2 can get some sleep."  
Ms. Bennett lead Jayne and I up the stairs and show us to one of the guest rooms. We look at the king size bed, then at each other. A nervous glance. I walk over to the window and close the drapes, kicking off my boots swiftly, scared that any slower and I would change my mind and walk out the door. Turning back to the bed I see Jayne sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at his boots lined up near the bedside table. I walk over, shyly. I don't know why I'm so nervous all of a sudden.  
"I'm just going to the bathroom."  
I gently stroke the stubble growing on his cheek and swiftly head into the bathroom. I remove all my clothes except my boyleg underwear and put my t-shirt back on. I quickly wash my face and brush my teeth, then head back into the bedroom. Jayne is sitting in the same spot but in his boxer-briefs. When he hears me shut the bathroom door he strides in, leaving the door open and brushes his teeth. He doesn't gawk at me, and I am entirely thankful.

I climb under the covers of the overly large bed and get comfy, tugging at my hairtie to loosen it off. I watch Jayne come back out of the bathroom, lift the doona and climb in next to me. Suddenly, the bed doesn't feel so large.  
"You're cold?"  
Before waiting for an answer, he opens his arm, making room for me to rest my head on his shoulder. Once I settle in he grabs my thigh and pulls me closer, my right leg cocked between his leaving my hand tracing imaginary lines on his stomach. I feel my body start to relax as his heat penetrates my skin, soaking me in his warmth. I listen to his breathing and his heartbeat, feeling myself slip into a peaceful slumber. I can feel his fingertips softly tracing the features of my face, then, his nose runs slowly down mine and a shiver erupts up my back. A small, satisfied grunt escapes his lips before they embrace mine. A tentative kiss. I open my eyes and his lips retreat from mine. Without a moment's hesitation, my hand lifts from his stomach to his face. I trace the outline of his lips with my finger before I lift myself to his face and kiss him fiercely. I look at him a moment and plant a tender kiss on him again before I settle where I was before. Now every possible inch of our skin is touching, we fall asleep wrapped around each other.

I woke to Jayne gentle growling my name.  
"Capt'n wants us up, he's here."  
I spring out of bed, the cool air hitting my legs sending goosebumps all over me. I notice that Jayne has laid out fresh clothes for me and was already half-dressed himself. I throw my pants, socks and boots on, then duck into the bathroom to finish getting dressed. I notice Jayne picked a pair of Kevlar pants for me. When did I get Kevlar? Did Dad buy it for me? Did Jayne? It can't be Zoe's, I wouldn't fit into her pants. I run my hand over my thighs, feeling the armour under the fabric, appreciating the extra protection. I take my top off and put my clean bra and tank top on. Everything Jayne has picked for me has no black, except my boots. Hmmm. I brush my hair and pull in up into a high pony again, wash my face and brush my teeth. I'm ready to rumble.

As I come back out, Jayne hands me a leg holster.  
"It's a spare of Zoe's, she thought you might want it."  
I smile down at the supple and worn leather. I carefully thread my belt through the loop holes of my pants, attaching the holster as I move. I strap it around my thigh, testing the firmness by lifting my leg. Jayne had finished getting dressed and so we head down stairs together. I feel a sly smile at my lips and I can see Jayne is wearing the same. Zoe is standing at the bottom of the stair case waiting for us to come down.  
"He's in the dining room, unarmed."  
"Shiny. Let's go."  
We walk into the dining room to see Mal, Ms. Bennett and Mr. Bennett sitting at the table. I look Steve Bennett over, there is something off about him. I look over to Zoe and she seems to be coming to the same conclusion as me. I grab my hand gun and put it in my newly acquired holster. Jayne is gearing up too. Steve is putting me on edge.  
"Captain Reynolds, I don't understand why you feel the need to be here, let alone have who I presume are 3 of your finest with you."  
Mal looks over at myself and Jayne.  
"Ms. Bennett doesn't feel comfortable with you being in the house. So how about you just take what you need and go."  
Steve's eyes lock with mine.  
"Captain, this woman here resembles you greatly."  
"There's a likeness, but if you have a point you best be making it quickly."  
Steve wet his lips with his tongue and I can feel the tension radiating off Jayne and see Zoe's gun hand quiver slightly. A tell of her emotions.  
"I came to take my wife. There's no way she's leaving me."  
Mal mouth opens to speak, but Steve interrupts him.  
"And if I don't get what I came for, I'll take me frustrations out on your daughter."

Jayne's hand twitches over his hunting knife and mal lets out a laugh and feigns wiping a tear from his eye.  
"Oh that's great. Now, you best listen to me good. A side from the fact that my daughter is more than capable of handling herself, you see here the large man standing next to her? That's Jayne. Now he seems to have taken quite a liking to my girl and I doubt that he will let you touch a hair on her pretty little head."  
Steve gives another smirk;  
"Is that so? Does he tear her up at night?"  
Before Mal or I can react. Jayne punches Steve square in the jaw, Steve looks like he is seeing stars. I quickly take some cable ties out of my pocket.  
"Sit him up in the chair Jayne, I'm gonna make him squirm. Ms. Bennett? You can leave if you want."  
Ms. Bennett shakes her head quickly. I tie Steve's ankles and wrists to the chair. Zoe brings a jug of water and a glass over to the table.  
"Time for some re-education."  
Jayne throws a glass of water on Steve's face and he comes to quickly.  
Steve watches as I slide Jayne's hunting knife out of it's sheath.  
"Now Steve, what do you want?"  
He stares into my eyes.  
"My wife."  
"Wrong answer."  
I walk casually over to the kitchen and cut a lemon in half with the knife and come back. Mal looks at me and smiles. I take the knife and cut deep into Steve's arm. He sucks the air deeply through his teeth.  
"What do you want?"  
"My wife."  
"Wrong answer."  
I cut his other arm and squeeze lemon juice in the cut.  
"You think a couple of stings are going to make me change my mind?"  
I look him in the eyes and smirk.  
"You threaten me and question me? You're in no position to do such things."  
I rip his buttoned shirt open exposing his chest and make a deep but small cut on his peck.  
"What do you want?"  
"My wife."  
"Wrong answer."  
I take the lemon and rub it into the cut.  
"What do you want?"  
"I want to tear you from the inside out"  
"Wrong answer."  
Before I could retaliate, Jayne punches Steve in the jaw again, knocking him and the chair onto the ground. Jayne picks Steve up by the arms and sets the chair upright again.  
"What do you want?"  
"I will make you cry out in pain."  
"Wrong answer."  
Steve's whole body tenses, I'm starting to break him and it's happening quicker than expected. I glance at Jayne and he smirks and grunts. We're on the same wave length here. I see some lighter fluid sitting on the mantle above a fireplace. I take it down along with a box of matches. I perch myself cross-legged on the dining room table and squirt some lighter fluid onto Steve's chest.  
"What do you want?"  
"To leave."  
"Dishes are done."

Mal and Zoe are still at Ms. Bennett's house finishing up, Jayne and I are back on Serenity in the cargo hold with a bottle of whiskey between us.  
"You shiny?"  
"I'm good. Sorry about before, I just…he reminded me of someone."  
"I got that much. You're clever ya know? Smarter than me. The lemon juice was smart."  
Jayne's looking straight at me, in a kind of awe.  
"I don't like that I can do that and not care much. I think he's a pretty bad guy. His wife was sure scared of him."  
"He relishes in other people's pain but he can't take much himself. She was pregnant once but he beat her until all that was left of the baby was blood."  
Jayne and I look over towards the stairs to Inara's shuttle and see River standing there.  
"What she knows is mighty unsettlin'. But she's always right."  
The whiskey burns down my throat.  
"Libby, you barely hurt him and he broke. You did good here."  
I nod at Jayne and pass him the whiskey.  
"Yeah, good"

Chapter 5. Can I Start Getting Sexed Already?

Jayne and I finish the bottle of whiskey. We're sprawled out in the cargo bay. The warmth from the whiskey has spread all over my body, leaving a tingling sensation on my lips. I look over at Jayne and he looks straight back at me, his lips slightly parted and his eyes intent upon mine. I crawl over to him, covering the short space between us quickly. His expression becomes amused and I feel a wry smile pulling at my tingly lips. Jaynes hand slips around my waist and pulls me on top of him, he's still slouched against a cargo crate, his breath smells sweetly of whiskey. My stomach knots up and clenches in anticipation. His thumb grazes across my lower back and I pull in a sharp breath between my teeth just as Jayne lets out a soft growl.  
"You're so goram beautiful."  
I feel my face pull in to an inquisitive expression.  
"Well, you know…I just never thought the Capt'n could have such a damn good-looking daughter!"

My lips land on his hard, his hands and arms grip around my back and waist holding me flush to his strong body. I gently run my tongue across Jaynes lower lip, seeking asylum in his mouth. I try to wiggle my arms up and Jayne's grip slackens to allow me passage. I feel his face, the rough stubble under my finger tips and his sweet scent of sweat, whiskey and that musk that reminds you that he's all man and all yours, pure testosterone and strength, in case you've forgotten. It's intoxicating. His grip tightens around me again, reminding me that I'm safe and his.

I rest my nose on his, letting my breath catch up with me while a dewy sweat makes my skin glisten slightly. Kissing Jayne again I tug on his lower lip with my teeth, releasing a primal growl from deep in his chest. He stands, hoisting me up with him and starts walking towards the dining room. He steps in and I am completely oblivious to the fact that almost the entire crew are sitting around the table talking.  
"If anyone wants me I'll be in my bunk."  
The excited chatter fades as we step into the corridor and Jayne places me on my feet as he opens the hatch to our bunk. I climb down the steps quickly with Jayne following. Our eyes meet again and he hesitates, everything about him softens for a moment. He swiftly pulls his t-shirt over his head and looks at me, he slips his fingers under the edge of my tank top and slowly lifts it up over my head and drops it on top of his. I feel my hair cascade down my back in soft waves. I place a hand on Jaynes chest and with my other, aptly undo his belt, feeling his hardness underneath my hand. His face twists with pleasure while I gently leave my hand there for a moment. He picks me up again and places me on the bunk, untying each boot and removing them. He slowly undoes my belt and pants, savouring every moment as he slides my pants off, leaving me near naked. I reach down and undo the button and zip on his cargos, pushing them off his hips. He not so gracefully kicks them off, along with his boots.

I look at him, drink him in. My breath catches in my throat at his magnificence. His perfection, for me at least. He starts kissing me. My lips. My neck. My collarbone. He keeps going, taking my bra straps down with him, exposing my breasts. He stops and sits back looking at me, smiling at me like a little boy on Christmas morning. He kisses my shoulder then moves down to my nipple, caressing my other breast with his hand, rolling my nipple between his fingers gently. His free hand slips under my back and unfastens my bra which he casually pulls away from me and dumps on top of our pile of clothes. He grunts again in acknowledgement and continues his assault, kissing my stomach, running his tongue over my hips as he hooks his fingers into my panties and starts sliding them down, his fingers leaving a blazing hot trail on my skin. I flex my hips as a reflex and he smiles up at me, obviously pleased with himself. So they get added to the now completed pile on the floor.

He kisses all the way up my body, taking me in greedily. His lips meet mine again and I twist his short hair in my fingers, pressing my body against his so he can feel my urgency. He runs his hand down my body, he gently and firmly pushes my knee aside so he can rest himself between my legs. His hardness presses into my thigh. He runs his hand up my other thigh feeling my heat as he goes, he slides a finger inside me and I sharply take a breath, caught off guard. He slowly tickles me from inside and then slides a second finger in. I roll my head back slightly as I feel a sheen of sweat gather on my skin. He licks some of the sweat from my neck, breathing hotly onto my skin and withdraws his finger, my lips move to protest but he fills the void with himself, slowly filling me completely. He stops and looks down at me kissing me hard once he knows I'm perfectly fine. So perfectly fine. He starts to slowly rock himself in and out of me. I cock one of my legs around him and feel my nails dragging along his back in want and need. His rhythm is so perfect and I flex my hips to meet his. I feel myself start to fill with pleasure, the euphoria is electric on my skin. Wrapping both my legs around Jayne's waist I tip over the edge, contracting and expanding around him, burying my face into his chest as he fills me with himself and rests on top of me for a moment before rolling off.

He looks me over sleepily, not once asking if I enjoyed it. I lift myself to meet his face and plant a long kiss on his lips. He runs his fingertips over my ribs sending goosebumps over my skin in direct response. He smiles at me knowingly and pulls me into his arms. I rest my head on his damp chest and listen to his breaths as we both drift into the most peaceful sleep.

Chapter 6. Don't "Oh Captain, My Captain" Me!

In a hungover haze I stumble my way into the infirmary, raiding my way through drawers trying to find something to ease the throbbing ache in my skull. Whiskey. Ugh.  
"No wonder you and Jayne are together. Apes. No respect for my order. DON'T TOUCH THAT."  
I look over at Simon, the light burns my eyes and I shut my eyes quickly.  
"Hangover?"  
I nod.  
"Apes? I'm not apeish."  
Simon smiles and hands me 3 small pills and some water.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean you. Jayne though, he's like a trained ape….without the training. You're not like that though, well unless you've been drinking too much Whiskey."  
I looked around and realised in my desperation I may have made a bit of a mess.  
"I'll help you clean up, I didn't mean to…"  
Simon looks over at me and nods. We move around the infirmary, tidying up the place as we go.  
"I heard the Captain talking, he said that you've had training."  
My eyes meet Simons briefly.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Training in…interrogation."  
I sighed, I knew Mal had talked to the crew about it before he would talk to me.  
"I ran with a crew. They pretty petty thieves at first, just shy of pick pocketing. They got more aggressive, breaking and entering and stealing from homes while the families slept. Then we started attacking the high-class families. Ones with safes and vaults. I learned that you can drain close to 40% of a person's blood without causing serious harm. When they feel their blood pressure drop and the dizziness set in, they tend to spill their guts. It's the best threat. You leave no marks, bar where you insert the needle and it gets them talking quick. I learned some other, more aggressive measures too. I hated it. The crew's leader threatened to hunt me down if I left. He kept me scared and under his thumb."  
Simon risked a glance at me;  
"You obviously got away."  
"He wanted me. In his own sick way he loved me dearly. "  
I heard Kaylee skip into the infirmary.  
"So how'd ya get away then?"  
I smile at her genuine curiosity.  
"I did what any girl would do, I gave him what he wanted. We had just left a job, particularly brutal. I climbed into his bunk and he thought all his dreams had come true. I doped him tied him up in a chair and gagged him. I sat for 3 hours trying to decide how to do it. I couldn't use a gun because it would be too loud, but didn't want the mess either. So I decided on using the method he had taught me, exsanguination. I hooked up the needle to his veins on each arm, and let the draining process start. When he started going into hypotension I loaded up my stuff into a shuttle and left. Got a job at a bar and made my way to where I met Jayne."

Mal walks into the infirmary and everyone clears out pretty quickly. He hands me some water, which I more than gratefully take. As I'm gulping down the water Mal watches me;  
"You know I was looking for you."  
"I know."  
I couldn't help but notice Mal was fidgeting, this is the most time we had spent in a room together and now I was sleeping with one of his crew.  
"I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner. I tried. I really did. I just…"  
"I know, mum went to great lengths to keep us hidden. She heard a rumor that you were running jobs, most like some illegal ones. That's when she realised that all we needed to do was move to a central planet."  
"You've grown up so much. You were a girl when I left, I think I was hoping we could pick up where we left off but so much has happened…"  
"and everything is different, I know."  
Mal looks at the ground and then back at me,  
"I don't like this thing you have goin' with Jayne. I'll be honest about that. If he does anything wrong you have my permission to shoot him."  
I started laughing.  
"Shoot him?"  
Mal started to slowly smile and then his humor became hidden in absolute seriousness.  
"Just a little, in the leg or something. We still need him on the crew. Simon can patch him up. Ain't like Jayne never been shot before."


End file.
